This disclosure relates generally to the assembly of a building structure, for example, the installation of deck plank fasteners or clips for securing a deck plank to a joist and for supporting deck planks relative to one another to install a deck. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to fasteners with preset elongate securing members (screws) and an inventive intermediate breakaway sleeve (bushing) that allows the securing members to fully and directly contact the fasteners in the installed position.
Deck plank fasteners for planks with undercut side grooves exist, and are well known in the relevant field. Recent advancements in the technology of fasteners have been made to allow for versatility, improved attachment strength and rigidity, as well as ease and quickness of installation, which advancements are disclosed in co-owned pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/434,268 filed Apr. 8, 2015 (U.S. Application Publication No. 2015/0275951), the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Publication No. 2015/0275951 discloses a universal hidden deck fastener that may be attached to other similar fasteners in a front-to-rear alignment to form an attached collated strip. U.S. Publication No. 2015/0275951 also discloses a power driving tool, such as a compressed air tool, configured for automatic installation of hidden deck fasteners like those disclosed.
Many installers prefer to install fasteners by hand, rather than using an automatic power driving tool. Presently, these installers are required to handle each small fastener in their hands, locate a securing member (usually a loose screw or other elongate threaded fastener), place and maintain the fastener in the proper installation position relative to the plank and decking support structure, and finally drive the securing member in the proper position through the fastener to install the decking plank. Such a process is very time consuming, and lends itself to inconsistent fastener alignment and results due to the handheld positioning. In addition to the specific installation of a decking fastener described herein, there are a multitude of similar fasteners or building elements that currently require handheld alignment and maintenance of a securing member with a hole, a process that invites mistakes and inconsistent results.
Fastening products, such as decking fasteners, currently exist with a permanent plastic section for presetting a threaded securing member. The plastic section allows a screw to be preset in an attachment opening prior to a user driving the screw through the opening to install the fastener. However, fasteners with a plastic section naturally suffer drawbacks such as lower strength, rigidity and durability as compared to similar fasteners that have a metal-on-metal relationship with the securing member when installed. The plastic-on-metal connections that currently exist are subject to greater fatigue and easily become loose or damaged over time. There are currently no products that include a preset securing member directly within a metal opening in a fastener, primarily because such a product would be susceptible to stripping of the metal surfaces of the opening and/or securing member threads. Thus, there is a need for a fastener with an effective preloaded securing member that avoids possibility of stripping of metal surfaces when preloaded and allows a metal-on-metal attachment when installed.